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A lot of my blog posts touch upon the experience of living in different cultures and countries. I will admit to finding this type of topic particularly fascinating, largely because of the profound influence it has had on the way I process information and observe life. As I've mentioned before in several places, it is easy to take life for granted - the way your society does things, the way people think of and use money, how aggressively the drivers are, what role religion plays, what topics are "safe" and what are "taboo" - and you overlook how they can be quite specific to your own country and culture, rather than universal. People say I have a talent for extrapolating a lot from nothing, and I like to take that as a compliment. Last time it was ramen, this time it shall be about things most people probably don't think about.
What I enjoy the most about visiting new countries (or living in them for extended periods of time) is just taking in the culture, trying to learn more about the place from where I originally came from by contrasting it with a place that in most cases, functions perfectly happily doing things in a totally different manner. There are many observations I make about the United States that I would have easily overlooked if I'd never lived outside of the country for several years, and many about Taiwan and Japan that are more obvious due to having lived in America for so long. It's harder to pick up on things when you're never really taught them outright, and you just pick them up through experience. It's one of the things that makes it obvious how long you've lived in a country, regardless of what your accent may sound like. When I lived in Japan for 6 months during a study abroad program, I was often complimented on my Japanese accent, but somehow residents could always pick me out for a foreigner fairly easily after hanging out for a little bit.
So on that topic, here's a list of unspoken social norms I've found interesting so far. They are, in a sense, informal. That is to say, they aren't officially enforced and aren't really "policy", yet you find a high level of consistent agreement on expectations and conformity to them. Some are fairly identifiable, others not. Obviously, what I observe has been tinted by my own experience and position in life, and I readily acknowledge that my understanding of say, Christmas, may be quite different from that of someone growing up in a non-Christian household, or someone growing up in the urban projects. Part of what I'd love to find out is how people do things *differently*, so if your understanding of something differs, that's exactly what I want to hear.
1. Christmas/Valentine's Day
This holds more for the United States than in Taiwan, where Christmas holds quite a different meaning. In the United States, despite the overall decreasing level of religiosity over the past few decades, Christmas still has a fairly religious taste to it, or at least customs firmly rooted in religious tradition, even if the meaning has changed somewhat. There's an overall sense of family and festivity - at the very least, there's the hype of "good tidings we bring, to you and your kin". In Taiwan, it's slightly different. Obviously, Taiwanese Christians celebrate it similarly to many American Christians, but there are some pretty significant affects due to it being... well, in Taiwan and all. First of all, it's not an official holiday. The primary extended holiday for workers is the Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year, sometime between January and February. That is also when most schools go on break between semesters. In the States, due to a quasi integration of church and state, official holidays pretty much cater to Christians. As such, I remember whenever I returned to Taiwan for winter break (while in college), all of my Taiwanese friends were still in school. And they'd ask me why I never visited for Lunar New Year, and my obvious response was, "We're in school in the States at that time."
Some Christmas norms I've noticed are fairly obvious - like the "Wrapping Rule", which pretty much states that gifts should be wrapped in Christmas-themed wrapping paper, or alternatively marked with some sort of decoration or bow if their shape makes it difficult to wrap. Other norms and conventions aren't so intuitive, and you can go for many years before someone eventually points it out. For example, there is somewhat of a "Scaling Rule", which for most people, determines purchases of gifts depending on relationship with the recipient. In general, your significant other receives the most valuable gift; then your kids (and, for the most part, they should get gifts of equal value. The definition of "value" may vary between households - for some, it is the monetary cost of the gift, and for others, how much the child treasures the gift.); then your relatives, then coworkers, etc. The phrase, "It's the thought that counts" is what we say, but the gifts we give oftentimes to carry some form of social message that tells the recipient how much we care. Some may say that this is a bad thing, that we shouldn't conform to such antiquated ideas. To a certain extent, I can agree with that. Yet at the same time, I would also feel something's off if someone buys a gift for a coworker that is (at the very least, perceived to be) much more valuable than a gift given to his/her significant other. Obviously, in an increasingly diverse and mobile society, I expect more and more people to break these conventions unintentionally, perhaps causing unintended offense. This may be a good or bad thing, depending on where you're coming from.
In Taiwan, this is slightly different. For most people, Christmas isn't really a religious holiday. Rather, it's quite similar to how it's celebrated in Japan - as the second-most significant *romantic* holiday of the year, after Valentine's Day.
And now here's where I go on my long tangent about Valentine's Day in Japan (before returning to discussion about Taiwan), because I find some Japanese customs fascinating. (you may note that I often overuse the word "fascinating") Many Western holidays are celebrated in Japan, but it's noteworthy that many of the changes to these traditions are created by commercial organizations. For example, during the week leading up to Valentine's Day, chocolate companies can allegedly make HALF of their annual sales. How does this artificial social norm they created sell so much chocolate, and make so much money?
First of all, I'm not sure if the person(s) importing Valentine's Day screwed something up and something was missed in translation, but basically in Japan, Valentine's Day is an opportunity for the *girls* to show their love to *guys*. Thankfully, Japan has found a way to compensate for that, and sell even more chocolate in the meantime. Valentine's Day can get somewhat complicated. First of all, it's not nice to make people feel left out, especially your coworkers or fellow students. I distinctly recall my 4th grade teacher at Stanley Clark School, Mr. Cox, say that if we didn't give someone a Valentine's Card or candy, then we shouldn't give him one either. Solidarity! The end result was that everyone gave everybody else little gifts, and that was pretty cool. On a side note, Mr. Cox lived in Sierra Leone for several years, played the drums, and taught my class how to raise mealworms and play Mancala. There's a reason why I've always liked school.
Anyway, because no one wants to feel left out, in Japan there are several different types of chocolates girls give out on February 14th: "Giri-Chocolate" - meaning "obligatory chocolate". As clear from the name, these are those you are obligated to give to people, who you don't actually love. Your manager, coworkers, friend-zoned male friends, etc. These chocolates are very cheap, so it's easier to tell them apart from other more optional chocolates that actually mean something. The REAL chocolate is what they call, "Honmei-Chocolate" - meaning "favorite chocolate". This is the kind you give to the one you love, and can be really expensive if bought in a shop, but ideally homemade. And because it has to be obvious that these are Honmei and not Giri, these *have* to be way more expensive if you buy them. Hooray chocolate companies! Last of all you have "Tomo-Chocolate" - meaning "friend chocolate", which is what girls give to female friends.
To make things fair (and give chocolate companies another opportunity to rake in the cash), there's "White Day", March 14th - a chance for all the guys who got gifts on Valentine's Day to return the favor. Both holidays are fairly similar in that they aren't necessarily romantic, but it can be if you want it to be. To make it absolutely obvious how wonderfully commercially artificial this holiday is, know that it was created by Japan's National Confectionary Association in 1978 to boost sales. Apparently it started with marshmallows, but for some reason marshmallows aren't as popular in Japan as they are in America, so the preferred candy is chocolate as well, but the name remains. Also, the convention is that the guy actually has to give back more than he received, so a girl can give a homemade chocolate and the guy has to upstage her with something nicer. Yes, there is much money to be made here.
And of course, South Korea has the infamous "Black Day" where single guys who received nothing on Valentine's Day get to share their tears by eating some delicious (dark-colored) jajangmyeon.
And... it turns out my tangent on Valentine's Day ended up being longer than the section on Christmas. This happens very rarely, I assure you. Anyway, going back to Christmas in Taiwan - as it's primarily seen as a romantic holiday, norms surrounding gifts are different than in the States. In a sense, it's much more similar to the Japanese Valentine's Day than the American Christmas, in that you primarily buy a gift for your romantic partner, and perhaps some somewhat obligatory little items for friends and family. Giving something rather extravagant for Christmas to someone of the opposite gender thus can imply something more than it would otherwise in other cultures.
To make up for the relative lack of Christmas content, here's another random observation about Christmas in Japan: for some reason, people eat chicken (preferably, KFC), and cake. Don't ask me why, but I'm fairly certain there's some commercial reason for all this.
2. Restroom Etiquette
From what I've seen (both in Taiwan and the States), many girls chat with each other in the restroom, and go to the restroom in groups. Guys in America, on the other hand, are massively conformist. The rule is, no one speaks in the restroom (to each other - cell phones are somewhat tolerated). Also, whenever possible, you do not stand right next to another guy at the urinal if other spots are open. Thus, supposing in our hypothetical restroom we have 5 urinals, named 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. If you enter the bathroom and someone is using 3, then you may choose 1 and 5. If someone is using 1, then 3 and 5 are the best choices. Why not 4? Well, because that would reduce the potential number of open urinals for other guys coming after you. So for example, if you enter the restroom and see these 5 urinals, it's incredibly rude to use 2 or 4, because that reduces the number of socially permissible urinal spots from the potential two to one. If you choose 2, then only 4 is available, and if you choose 4, then only 2 is available. Now if you had chosen 1, then the guys after you could choose 3 and 5. If you chose 3, then 1 and 5 are free. Get the idea?
Now of course, when it gets crowded then no one really cares and all restrictions are removed. Otherwise, most guys conform to this rule which probably has its roots in some subtle form of homophobia. I've noticed that this isn't nearly as strict in Taiwan - while it's still highly unlikely that someone will intentionally choose the urinal right next to yours, people don't calculate the most ideal use of potential urinal spots as often as people from the United States do. Make of that what you will.
On another random note, I've been conditioned to say some form of "bless you" after someone sneezes in America, but in Taiwan that is considered odd behavior. The unspoken rule is instead to just ignore it, as saying something would draw unnecessary attention.
As this went on a bit longer than I had originally anticipated, I'll have to cut it a bit shorter and leave some for next time. In summary, I suppose my point is that our social interactions are highly regulated by unspoken/informal conventions, that we, throughout our lives, learn and follow without questioning or perhaps even noticing.
So, dear readers, what unspoken social norms have you observed in your home countries or cultures?
 
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Haha, KFC and cake in Japan? That sounds so silly haha. I loved your bit on the restroom etiquette which is what I've noticed before (and I'm pretty sure there's a whole thread devoted to it on TL somewhere, involving more criteria like which urinal leaves you most vulnerable to sudden attack or which gives you the most peripheral vision, etc). I too find it so fascinating that there is something so complex beneath such a mundane activity.
I can't think of any particularly Australian ones at the moment, but I'll come back if I do.
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Great post, enjoyable read.
Generally in Australia, although we have Christian-based holidays, they are celebrated as a family and not about religion (at least in my experience). Lots of people will call themselves Christians etc. but not actually observe and real practices i.e. going to church and so on.
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People in the United States need to stop saying bless you after we sneeze. I don't say it when other people sneeze anymore and neither do my friends although we have never discussed it.
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I remember reading an article somewhere talking about the same things...
Urinal thing is kinda automatic for guys
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Hey Funnytoss, I am currently dating a Taiwanese lady who has been in America for about 3 years. I would be mighty grateful if you enlighten me on some of the differences in they way relationships might differ in Taiwanese culture.
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yo, i make sure to go pee right next to a maximum of persons in public restrooms, the akward is palpable, but no1 says anything (rule 1)
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On September 21 2012 14:39 URfavHO wrote:
Hey Funnytoss, I am currently dating a Taiwanese lady who has been in America for about 3 years. I would be mighty grateful if you enlighten me on some of the differences in they way relationships might differ in Taiwanese culture.
I'll take this to PM unless you want to do otherwise. There are definitely significant differences in relationships, particularly when it comes to extended family, but if you plan on (perhaps marrying) and living in the States, that's a bit different than say, if you were living in Taiwan. The expectations around that would also differ, in large part due to the greater environment around you. When it comes to differences in habits to due to culture, I think it's safe to say that it's not something set in stone, and that "when in Rome..." is a fairly accurate determinant of people's behavior.
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Not talking in the restroom..
Nah, I've never NOT talked in the restroom lol (as long as there's someone I wanted to talk to, that is), it's not unusual for me and 2 of my friends to go to the schools restroom and talk as if we were outside.
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On September 21 2012 14:42 SagaZ wrote:
yo, i make sure to go pee right next to a maximum of persons in public restrooms, the akward is palpable, but no1 says anything (rule 1)
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
People like you are why I don't use urinals unless there are walls between them. I can not urinate if there is another person next to me... so I just have to stand there and wait for the person to leave. Waiting for someone to finish peeing so that you can pee must be what hell is like.
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I'm in America and what you describe is not an unspoken social norm. It is the result of an extremely homophobic culture in which seeing another guy's weiner makes you gay, while at the same time, showering with another dude in the locker room makes you straight.
Having been raised elsewhere, I can attest to the fact that we saw each others' weiners all the time but at the end of the day, we wanted the women. And we always went to the urinal closest to the door.
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On September 21 2012 14:45 Iplaythings wrote:
Not talking in the restroom..
Nah, I've never NOT talked in the restroom lol (as long as there's someone I wanted to talk to, that is), it's not unusual for me and 2 of my friends to go to the schools restroom and talk as if we were outside.
During my army time I was having a shit in this weird ass toilet that had no doors and the actual toilet was maybe a meter higher than the hallway area of the restroom. Anyway I'm having a shit sitting on my toilet throne and one of my pals comes to chat with me to like right in front of me. I can't remember what he was on about but I can not have a shit in a situation like that, so fucking awkward for me but he was acting like it was the most natural thing to him.
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If you bump glasses in Germany you have to look each other in the Eye(or else you will have bad sex for the next 7 years of your live).
Edit: bump glasses as in saying "cheer" and stuff while drinking ;D
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Isn't the second point caused by fear of splash damage and comparable studies it's at least what I think after watching Larry David. The Christmas rules is quite reasonable as the wrapping rule matches the occasion and the scaling rule is universal as it applies birthdays. The scaling rule is more apparent during Christmas as the gifts are handed over in a small space of time while birthdays are spread across an entire year.
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I actually kind of wish there was japanese valentines over here in the UK, it's kind of cute lol
Then again, i watch too much anime.
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On September 21 2012 15:24 Release wrote:
I'm in America and what you describe is not an unspoken social norm. It is the result of an extremely homophobic culture in which seeing another guy's weiner makes you gay, while at the same time, showering with another dude in the locker room makes you straight.
give me a break....
So if you went onto a bus and there was only one stranger sitting in the seats you would sit next to this person instead of sitting in an empty row?
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The reason I usually choose a far urinal from other guys is splash back, especially if I'm wearing flip flops or white shoes.
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8748 Posts
On September 21 2012 15:24 Release wrote:
I'm in America and what you describe is not an unspoken social norm. It is the result of an extremely homophobic culture in which seeing another guy's weiner makes you gay, while at the same time, showering with another dude in the locker room makes you straight.
Having been raised elsewhere, I can attest to the fact that we saw each others' weiners all the time but at the end of the day, we wanted the women. And we always went to the urinal closest to the door.
Wow I really hope you don't become a sociologist. It's definitely not your field.
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I recall it was in grade 4 when my grade school BFF and I happened to be relieving ourselves in urinals directly beside one another.
A bully from an upper grade (his identity lost to the mists of time, unfortunately) sneaked up behind my friend, grabbed his shoulders and wrenched his body 90 degrees while he was still peeing. This, of course, resulted in him peeing on my leg and much hilarity was to be had at our expense.
Moral of the story: you never know when the guy beside you is gonna go piss-haywire.
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I noticed when I first began dating my wife, who comes from a much more family-oriented culture, she would eat food off of my plate, saying "lemme try that!" For me, my family had never done that; what was on your plate was yours I guess, and if you wanted to try something that the other person had on their plate, you would go get it or make one yourself (depending on what it was of course). I noticed that it was a norm in her family to share food right off their plates, while in mine it wasn't. Very shocking to me at first but I have come to prefer the "sharing off the plate" method; it's more familial, and also a great way to taste food you didn't order!
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United States22154 Posts
Good read, I really enjoy this kind of blog ^_^
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good blog! valentines(chocolate) day in japan seems interesting
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I keep my distance in public restrooms because you never know when the guy beside you might be drunk or have a sudden twitch movement that causes his aim to falter and you might find yourself in the line of fire or taking collateral damage.
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On September 22 2012 02:29 Serejai wrote:
I keep my distance in public restrooms because you never know when the guy beside you might be drunk or have a sudden twitch movement that causes his aim to falter and you might find yourself in the line of fire or taking collateral damage.
Never cross the streams!
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Ah Japan... where the words "social norms" pretty much control everyday life like you won't believe. 
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we should remove all restrooms. then we reconfigure all buildings to be smaller by the size of the space that is now unaccounted for. rearrange every building so that there are large areas of empty space scattered amoung them. turn all those empty spaces into huge grassy areas (or other types of natural environments) and designate those new areas as the new bathrooms. that way you can stand as close or as far away from anyone as you want.
oh and instead of spending money on all the plumbing and toilet paper and shit, just make sure that in those open spaces free shovels will be provided to people that need to poop.
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turn all those empty spaces into huge grassy areas (or other types of natural environments) and designate those new areas as the new bathrooms. that way you can stand as close or as far away from anyone as you want.
Ya know the grass wouldn't last very long with all of that pee raining down constantly on it.
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Restroom ettiquette observations, how novel! 
Bus ettiquette in Ottawa is about the same as bathroom ettiquette. Don't sit beside someone you don't know if possible, don't sit across from someone if possible. And if you think about it, yes it's pretty weird to sit beside someone on a nearly empty bus and just be silent. Maybe if you wanted to talk to them its ok, but now you are probably creepy and they probably didn't want to speak to you.
It has nothing to do with homophobia. If anything at all, it has to do with a concern for personal space and not making others feel uncomfortable since this never happens otherwise. On the other hand, when the bus starts emptying, I won't move from my seat if I'm sitting beside someone, because I think that's rude. But I know some people do and I'm not sure if they realise what it implies or if they just want more room.
I don't see why it's conformist for guys to do this, but not conformist for girls to go to the bathroom together. They are still conforming to a stereotype. I actually don't see it happen that often either ;p If it happens it's because a girl is insecure or worried about something and wants to discuss it, not because she actually needs to use the washroom. IE there is a creepy dude they wanna ditch lol. Guys use other excuses to get away, but maybe less often since people consider it more okay for guys to hurt a person's feelings and be blunt than for girls, who must worry about being assaulted lest they protect someone's ego (and obviously some girls don't care and will be just as blunt).
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I will move to an open seat on the bus if I sat down next to that person while it was crowded, not to send the message to offend, but to give them back the space that I took from them when I sat down.
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i kinda got the college humor bathroom numbers vibe from this.
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On September 21 2012 14:09 Efekkt wrote:
People in the United States need to stop saying bless you after we sneeze. I don't say it when other people sneeze anymore and neither do my friends although we have never discussed it.
I REALLY don't like saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. I prefer to just ignore it. However, I've been called rude for not blessing someone after they sneezed. wtf?
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On September 22 2012 05:46 spbelky wrote:Show nested quote +On September 21 2012 14:09 Efekkt wrote:
People in the United States need to stop saying bless you after we sneeze. I don't say it when other people sneeze anymore and neither do my friends although we have never discussed it. I REALLY don't like saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. I prefer to just ignore it. However, I've been called rude for not blessing someone after they sneezed. wtf?
yeah lots of people at my workplace would think im rude and inconsiderate for this and similar . which means they look at you in a worse light and treat you more poorly themselves
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Nothing is worse than the guys who come in to the bathroom (in your 5 stall example) with a friend, continue on their conversation like no one is around, and have the audacity to take stalls 2 & 4.
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Here in America, we take our toilet etiquette pretty seriously. Great blog :D
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if some creep takes a urinal next to me, i take three big steps back, put all my force into my stream and aim it high on the bowl in a last ditch effort to get him with pee shrapnel to scare him away
you dont fuck with a man's personal space
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On September 21 2012 14:09 Efekkt wrote:
People in the United States need to stop saying bless you after we sneeze. I don't say it when other people sneeze anymore and neither do my friends although we have never discussed it.
need to? why? what's wrong with saying bless you?
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i dont normally read blogs, but clicked on this and glad i did. great read funnytoss!
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On September 22 2012 04:53 Vinte wrote:Show nested quote +turn all those empty spaces into huge grassy areas (or other types of natural environments) and designate those new areas as the new bathrooms. that way you can stand as close or as far away from anyone as you want. Ya know the grass wouldn't last very long with all of that pee raining down constantly on it.
Don't doubt nature bro we been soon it for years
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In north america, no-one shakes hands except for formal meetings. In Poland, you trip over your self shaking hands with every person you meet.
I prefer Polish social norms.
Oh, and one Im trying to figure out is alcohol and chocolate giving. It seems you give this to good friends and relatives for every holiday, every time you meet after a very long time, and even if they only drove 30 minute to get to your house sometimes. If you think chocolate companies make a lot in Japan, Polish companies must have equally as much revenue because of these social trends. The difference being, the giving never stops. Ever.
An example of this is when Tarson kept giving chocolate to MVP at IEM?
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Very interesting. Looking forward to more of these hopefully ^^
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On September 22 2012 04:59 Chef wrote:Restroom ettiquette observations, how novel! Bus ettiquette in Ottawa is about the same as bathroom ettiquette. Don't sit beside someone you don't know if possible, don't sit across from someone if possible. And if you think about it, yes it's pretty weird to sit beside someone on a nearly empty bus and just be silent. Maybe if you wanted to talk to them its ok, but now you are probably creepy and they probably didn't want to speak to you. It has nothing to do with homophobia. If anything at all, it has to do with a concern for personal space and not making others feel uncomfortable since this never happens otherwise. On the other hand, when the bus starts emptying, I won't move from my seat if I'm sitting beside someone, because I think that's rude. But I know some people do and I'm not sure if they realise what it implies or if they just want more room. I don't see why it's conformist for guys to do this, but not conformist for girls to go to the bathroom together. They are still conforming to a stereotype. I actually don't see it happen that often either ;p If it happens it's because a girl is insecure or worried about something and wants to discuss it, not because she actually needs to use the washroom. IE there is a creepy dude they wanna ditch lol. Guys use other excuses to get away, but maybe less often since people consider it more okay for guys to hurt a person's feelings and be blunt than for girls, who must worry about being assaulted lest they protect someone's ego (and obviously some girls don't care and will be just as blunt).
Yeah the urinal thing is exactly the same as the bus/train seat custom.
In Sydney, almost all our trains have three seats on one side of the carriage and two on the other. What ends up happening is that people will sit on the edges of the three-seaters to begin with (it being odd to sit right next to someone) and as the train fills up won't move. On first glance it appears like most people are selfish and want the extra room, but in reality most of them don't want to move closer to the other person unless someone else looks like they want to sit down. In turn people boarding don't really want the hassle of squeezing past a person and sitting between two people, so invariably a fifth of the seats on trains are almost always empty.
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I noticed when I lived in Germany that when you meet up with a friend and assuming you are both guys, you shake hands. No matter how big the group is, you have to shake with everyone. If it's a girl you hug. That was very new for me as we normally just wave to each other in NZ, or shake hands/hug if we havent seen a person in a long time or are exceptionally close with them.
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On September 22 2012 15:15 fuzzy_panda wrote:
I noticed when I lived in Germany that when you meet up with a friend and assuming you are both guys, you shake hands. No matter how big the group is, you have to shake with everyone. If it's a girl you hug. That was very new for me as we normally just wave to each other in NZ, or shake hands/hug if we havent seen a person in a long time or are exceptionally close with them.
Yeah Australia is the same as NZ for the handshaking stuff (as to be expected, I guess). In my mind it seems like the value of the handshake is lessened if you do it 24/7 or shake the hand of everyone in a big group regularly.
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At first I was confused when my friend from Mauritius kept shaking my hand everyday I was like wth we already met before/ wth why the formality.
After some time I got used to it haha it's just their way of saying hi to everyone.
Then one girl from Mauritius kissed her Malaysian friend on the cheek during her birthday. She told me later that it felt really awkward because we don't do it here haha
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On September 22 2012 08:18 snively wrote:Show nested quote +On September 21 2012 14:09 Efekkt wrote:
People in the United States need to stop saying bless you after we sneeze. I don't say it when other people sneeze anymore and neither do my friends although we have never discussed it. need to? why? what's wrong with saying bless you?
Historically, the "bless you" originated from sneezing being a symptom of disease/the flu/the plague and "blessing"
someone was like giving them their last rites (in Christianity) in case they died soon. I guess some people might find the idea rude if they are not religious, or specifically, not Christian, in the same way that some people are offended by people wishing them "Merry Christmas" if they don't subscribe to Christianity.
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One REALLY nice social norm in Bulgaria is to take off shoes when you visit someone's house. If you think about it, you may feel more comfortable without shoes, and you don't leave dirt on floor. I've also noticed no one does this in UK. 
Note: This doesn't work for hired service (e.g. workers). They don't do that. Assholes. ^^
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On September 21 2012 15:24 Release wrote:
I'm in America and what you describe is not an unspoken social norm. It is the result of an extremely homophobic culture in which seeing another guy's weiner makes you gay, while at the same time, showering with another dude in the locker room makes you straight.
Having been raised elsewhere, I can attest to the fact that we saw each others' weiners all the time but at the end of the day, we wanted the women. And we always went to the urinal closest to the door.
W3rd!
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As a Chinese Christian living in the US, I can attest to the validity of the Christmas section. We always make a large deal out of it in the US--our church holds some large celebration and we have some party at home. But in China, even though my relatives are Christians, they don't do much to celebrate Christmas.
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On September 22 2012 01:39 bonifaceviii wrote:
Moral of the story: you never know when the guy beside you is gonna go piss-haywire.
Proof
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On September 23 2012 04:20 darkness wrote:One REALLY nice social norm in Bulgaria is to take off shoes when you visit someone's house. If you think about it, you may feel more comfortable without shoes, and you don't leave dirt on floor. I've also noticed no one does this in UK. Note: This doesn't work for hired service (e.g. workers). They don't do that. Assholes. ^^
We do that in sweden as well. However, I have dutch family that comes to visit and they dont..I find it both offensive and frustrating.
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On September 22 2012 23:45 khaydarin9 wrote:Show nested quote +On September 22 2012 08:18 snively wrote:On September 21 2012 14:09 Efekkt wrote:
People in the United States need to stop saying bless you after we sneeze. I don't say it when other people sneeze anymore and neither do my friends although we have never discussed it. need to? why? what's wrong with saying bless you? Historically, the "bless you" originated from sneezing being a symptom of disease/the flu/the plague and "blessing" someone was like giving them their last rites (in Christianity) in case they died soon. I guess some people might find the idea rude if they are not religious, or specifically, not Christian, in the same way that some people are offended by people wishing them "Merry Christmas" if they don't subscribe to Christianity.
I am not Christian, but I say it anyways, every single time someone I see or hear sneezes, even if I don't know them. I do it because sickness could kill anyone (not that sneezing really has anything to do with that). Its just kind of a respect thing, I care about other people (even if I don't always do a great job of showing it). I believe in a god of my own understanding and I just think its nice to grant other people respect and show that I notice them. Its kind of like when I think of a co-workers wife dieing of cancer I pray for her, whether or not she believes in a god of MY understanding (which seems implausible).
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I was only told "bless you" once when I sneezed in a plane on my way to California. It came from like 5 seats in front of me, on the other side of the plane. The lady was determined to cast some Christian voodoo upon me. But really if you want to be nice to me, don't try spells of a religion that is not mine, you crazy warlocks
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In Saudi Arabia, it is polite for men to hold hands
![[image loading]](http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/archive/2005/04/1_123125_123063_2111846_2116263_050426_bushabdullah_sm.jpg)
You don't see this in the USA though
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When entering an elevator you turn around to face the door, otherwise you seem like a weirdo
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On September 25 2012 23:25 Digitalis wrote:
When entering an elevator you turn around to face the door, otherwise you seem like a weirdo
That's because you'll have to leave through there x_x
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On September 25 2012 23:27 Djzapz wrote:Show nested quote +On September 25 2012 23:25 Digitalis wrote:
When entering an elevator you turn around to face the door, otherwise you seem like a weirdo That's because you'll have to leave through there x_x
Seriously. People generally don't stand and stare at the wall unless they've been naughty or the Blair Witch got them
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On September 25 2012 23:25 Digitalis wrote:
When entering an elevator you turn around to face the door, otherwise you seem like a weirdo
I lauged a lot. Is this even cultural protocol or is it just sort of a natural tendency like not putting your hand on a hot stove? ALSO Blair witch facing walls joke. very good.
Peeing directly next to someone is uncomfortable for me because I am accustomed to the privacy offered by most North American homes. I have learned by drinking many beers at bars with very un-private urinal set ups that side by side peeing is a good skill to have.
I was surprised one night to learn that a little casual conversation with the stranger guy next to me loosened me up and heigtened the comfort of my bladder drainage. For this reason I recommend to any young guns out there to just be comfortable with your body functions. stand comfortable don't shield too little, don't shield too much and control your genital muscles.
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. I distinctly recall my 4th grade teacher at Stanley Clark School, Mr. Cox,
whoa. My 4th grade teacher was Mrs. Cox!
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Here in the UK, it's an unwritten social rule that nobody speaks to anyone if they aren't already friends for some unlikely reason. Unless your a chav, and then you speak to lots of people as long as your with your gang of friends, and you're not being friendly.
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EPT
